Embarking on a journey to a truly digital Pakistan is challenging. Based on my experience as a member of the team pioneering the journey to digital transformation of the Punjab in particular, and Pakistan in general, I explain in this article the details of the challenges faced in digitally transforming Pakistan.

Read more: 8 challenges in the digital journey

These challenges include (1) work ethics and culture, (2) lack of domain knowledge, (3) frequent leadership changes, (4) delays in release of funds, (5) lack of separate procurement rules for software, (6) no national policy on data governance, (7) context-driven digital payments gateway, and (8) secure and reliable digital access.

While these issues may appear daunting, none of them is insurmountable. Understanding the core issues behind each of them is key to continuing the digital transformation journey.

At Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), most of these challenges have been met very efficiently by an in-house software engineering team working closely with government departments. Since introducing technology primarily brings about a cultural change, a well-placed in-house software development team is able to develop a keen understanding of the officials’ mindset, processes, expectations and apprehensions.

To address the evolution of the understanding of a department (regarding technology), the in-house team employs quick prototyping, has no qualms about the architectural redesign, and can assure a quick turnaround time to rebuild, test, and deliver as per understanding. Therefore, as the department matures, the in-house team continues rendering support and assists various teams in their journey towards progress and success.

However, while different government departments have their own areas of expertise, some core issues, rules and regulations, psychological matters and subconscious behaviours remain the same. A common in-house team evolves to recognise best practices and solutions that work in government, thereby eliminating the need to reinvent the wheel. This also leads to design and code reusability, a fundamental principle of software engineering, which saves a lot of time.

Software industry in Pakistan is a treasure awaiting exploration. It has a lot of potential. A significant area of opportunity is public-private partnership for public service delivery.

Similarly, this solution automatically handles some of the challenges that arise due to red tape. It takes care of any false alarms arising from issues of cash flows or a sporadic fund release schedule. The control of the source code and copyright is never a matter of consideration at all.

Since the in-house team is a permanent part of the organisational infrastructure, it can always be counted on to be available as per the requirements of the department. The security of the data and its physical access locations remain with the government, hence, giving it full control.

Outsourcing an entire project to the local private sector, on the other hand, has been traditionally perceived as a panacea for all technology-related problems. Unfortunately, this has not turned out to be as successful in practice. Nonetheless, with staff augmentation whereby industry personnel are acquired by the government to work for it, government and industry can both benefit from each other and also deliver the required results.

This will not only develop the tech ecosystem of the country but also introduce cutting edge techniques and ideas. Moreover, with the industry also taking over operational matters like electricity, maintenance of office space and rent, provision of basic necessities like the internet, furniture, laptops, etc, along with the staff, the government will be able to operate on a much larger scale, focus on key areas and spare itself a lot of operational hassle. This will prove to be a win-win for both the government and the industry.

Software industry in Pakistan is a treasure awaiting exploration. It has a lot of potential. A significant area of opportunity is public-private partnership for public service delivery. The PITB is taking an initiative to tap this area and a Partners Programme is being launched. This step will focus on encouraging stakeholders from local industry to come forward with financially rewarding ideas of digitally empowered public service.

This will improve the delivery of services to the government which will lead to increased citizen confidence in the government. It will also generate economic activity benefiting the public exchequer as well as its industry partner. This vibrancy in the economy will boost the confidence of investors and attract even more investments. This can be a step in the right direction for the economy.

The challenges to digital transformation of our country may seem enormous. Yet, with the right approach they can be overcome. The examples are there to follow, they just need to be converted into policy.

The writer is Head of Software Engineering at the PITB since 2011. He is also a member of the PM’s Task Force on Austerity and Restructuring